In industry, as in most endeavors, there is often a trade-off between cost and performance. Higher performance machinery is generally more expensive to manufacture and hence more costly for the purchaser, while lower performance machinery is generally less expensive. In this way, purchasers essentially pay for the performance they need, in what has the potential to be a very efficient model of balancing cost and performance.
However, the efficiency of this model is disrupted to some extent by the often substantial structural differences between low cost/low performance models and high cost/high performance models. In particular, manufacturers that provide different grades of machines generally must have distinct tooling and processes dedicated to each level of machine. Moreover, the efficiency gained by the purchaser may be offset in the event that an upgrade in performance is needed. Typically, such an upgrade is a complex and expensive process, and indeed, in some cases, total machine replacement may be more economical than upgrading an existing machine.
In general terms, the inventor has conceived that greater efficiency for machine production and upgrade may be achieved by componentizing the power and drive systems with high granularity. Although systems exist that provide an increased level of granularity of componentization compared to standard centralized power production systems, such higher granularity systems do not provide sufficient granularity to allow more efficient production and upgrade capabilities.
For example, U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2009/0145682, entitled Propulsion Drive System for a Utility Vehicle, teaches a propulsion drive system having an internal combustion engine, a hydraulic pump driven by the engine, a first actuator to vary the fluid displacement of the hydraulic pump, a hydraulic motor, and a second actuator to vary the fluid displacement of the hydraulic motor. The system is said to be controlled so as to maximize the overall efficiency of the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic motor. Nonetheless, opportunities remain for a more cost effectively upgradable system.
The present disclosure is directed to a system, embodiments of which may address one or more of the shortcomings set forth above. However, it should be appreciated that the solution of any particular problem is not a limitation on the scope of this disclosure nor of the attached claims except to the extent expressly noted. Additionally, the inclusion of any problem or solution in this Background section is not an indication that the problem or solution represents known prior art except as otherwise expressly noted. While the US2009/0145682 reference is briefly discussed above, this discussion is for the reader's convenience, and is not itself prior art nor is it intended to alter, supplement, supplant or interpret the teachings of this reference.